St Barnabas Bethnal Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Barnabas Bethnal Green |
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| Church of St Barnabas Bethnal Green | |
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| Location | Grove Road, Bow, Tower Hamlets, London E3 5TG |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Tower Hamlets |
| Archdeaconry | Hackney |
| Diocese | London |
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St Barnabas Bethnal Green is an old church in Bow, London, England. It's a special kind of Christian church called Anglican, part of the Diocese of London. You can find it where Roman Road and Grove Road meet in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Contents
History of the Church Building
How the Church Started
The building that is now St Barnabas Church wasn't always a Church of England church. It was first built in 1865 as a Baptist Union Church. Before that, in 1865, there was a smaller Anglican mission called St Luke's nearby.
The church was designed by an architect named William Wigginton. He built it in a style called Gothic Revival, using yellow bricks with stripes of red and black. The building has a wide main area (chancel and nave) and a tall, eight-sided tower with a spire.
Becoming a Church of England Church
In 1868, the building was sold to the Church of England. Two years later, in 1870, it was officially made a Church of England church by John Jackson, who was the Bishop of London at the time. The church was given its own area to serve, taking parts from two other nearby churches.
A large brick house for the vicar (the church's priest) was built in 1876. The first vicar to live there was George Barnes, who served the church from 1870 to 1902.
Rebuilding After World War II
During the Second World War, the church was badly damaged by bombs. After the war ended, the church was rebuilt. The tall steeple was removed, but the tower and the side walls were kept.
The rebuilding work was done by J Anthony Lewis. He asked a sculptor named Don Potter to create a special artwork for the outside of the church. This artwork, made around 1957, is called "The Four Evangelists." Don Potter also made a font (a basin for baptisms) from a type of stone called Clipsham stone.
In 1957, a new electric organ was put into the church. A sign inside the church says that the rebuilt church was officially opened again on June 18, 1957, by the Bishop of London.
St Barnabas and the Bow Group
St Barnabas is part of a group of Anglican churches in Bow. This group includes Bow Church (St Mary and Holy Trinity), St Paul's, Bow Common, St Paul's, Old Ford, and All Hallows, Bow.
The Church School
There was also a school connected to St Barnabas, called St Barnabas National School. It was in a Gothic-style building and started in 1866. This building was also used as a mission church. The school closed in 1905 and was later turned into a church center.
Priests Who Have Served St Barnabas
Many priests have led the St Barnabas church community over the years. Here are some of them:
- George Barnes was the first vicar, serving from 1870 to 1902.
- Alexander Bassell Winter served from 1902 to 1920.
- Thomas Felix was vicar from 1920 to 1941.
- William Charles Smith served during the war, from 1942 to 1945.
- William George Hossack Redmond Parr was vicar from 1945 to 1949.
- George William Saunders served from 1950 to 1960.
- Christopher Dudley Johnson was vicar from 1961 to 1967.
- John Whitmore Griffiths served from 1967 to 1972.
- Arthur Robert Royall was vicar from 1973 to 1975.
- Michael Harold Champneys served from 1975 to 1976.
- Fredrick Mark Rollinson was vicar from 1976 to 1992.
- John David Marshall Peton served from 1992 to 1996.
- John Arthur Webber was vicar from 1997 to 2000.
- Brian Charles Ralph has been the vicar since 2001.
Church Activities
St Barnabas Church has been involved in community events. From 2003 to 2012, the church played a big part in the St Barnabas Community Fete, also known as Bowstock. The church's vicar, Father Brian Ralph, was the director of this event.
